Improved sleeping-car



' 2, Sheets -Sheet 1. M. A. WHEELER.

Sleeping Car Seat. 9 No. 92,919. Patented July 20, 1869.

Witnesses: Inventor.

, 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. M. A. WHEELER. Sleeping Car ,Seat

Patefited July 20 1869.

Witnesses:

1700670177: wm/yaw iilhtitrd States Letters Patent No. 92,919, dated July 20, 1869.

IMPROVED SLEEPING-CAR.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, M. ALLIson WHEELER, of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco, and State of California, have invented a new and improved Sleeping-Gar; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others Skilled 'in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming vpart of this specification. I

This invention relates to a new and improved rail-' roadsleeping-car; and 7 It consists in a novel construction of the backs of the seats and their application to the latter, and also in suspended upper berths and drop partitions, all being arranged in such a manner,-that an ordinary railroad-car may, in afew moments, be converted from a day-car to a sleeping-car,'and vice cersa, thereby dispensing with the use of extra cars for sleepingpurposes.

1n the accompanying sheet of drawings- Fignre 1 is a side sectional view of a car provided with my invention, and having the parts adjusted as a day-car.

Figure 2 is also a side sectional view of the same, with the parts adjusted as a sleeping-car.

Figure 3, a transverse vertical section of the same, taken in the line a: x, fig. 2.

Figure 4, a transverse section of the same, taken in the line 3 y, fig. 1.

Figure 5, an enlarged side view of the arms of the seat-back.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

The car A may be constructed substantially in the same manner as those in common use.

B represents the seats, which have boxes to underneath, to receive bedding, when the same is not in use. (See fig. 2.)

The backs of the seats are composed of two horizontal parts C O, of'equal height or depth, and each part, at each end, connected by arms I.) to the centres of the top rails of the sides of the seats by pivotbolts b. I

These arms D are what may be termed of branched form, one branch, 0, being much longer than the other one, (I, the branches 0, near their ends, being provided with oblong slots 0, to admit of screws, or buttons f passing through them into the ends of the parts 0 of the backs, with heads at their outerends greater in diameter than the width of the slots.

.By this means, the parts 0 O of the seat-backs are connected to the branches-0 of the aims D, and allowed a certain play or movement between the arms.

The ends of the short branches 'd are slotted or notched longitudinally, a short-distancaas shown at g,-to receive screws or buttons h in the ends of the parts O'G.

At bothsidcs of each seat B there are ledges i, to support the parts 0 0, when adjusted so as to rest upon them.

From the above description, it will be seen that 'when the two parts 0 O of each seat are turned over to one side of the seat, and one part 0 rests upon the other, an ordinary seat-back is obtained, (see fig. 1;) and it will further be seen that by adjusting one part,

.0, to one side of the seat, and the other part to the opposite side of the seat, a'childs crib is obtained, (see fig. 2;) and'that by turning the, parts 0 O of the alternate seats to one side .of the same, and turning down and folding over the parts 0 O of the back of intermediate seats, so as to close over the spaces between, a row of under or lower berths is obtained, it being understood that the parts 0, by being slightly raised between the arms I), will have their screws or buttons it released from the notches, or slots-g, in the short branches (Z of the arms, which admit of said parts being turned or folded down, as described.

The upper row of berths is obtained by suspending frames, or very light boards E fi'om the sides and top,

or roof of the car.

These frames, or boards E are provided with eyes t at one edge, to receive hooks j, attached to the side of the car, the opposite edges of the frames, or boards being suspended from the top of the car by jointed arms F, which are attached to the frames, or boards, and catch into pendent loops G attached to the top of the car. (See fig. 2.)

These boards or frames are designed to be equal in length to the lower berths, that is to say, the space inclnded bctween the seats having their backs adj usted to full height at one side of the same, and the upper berths are divided by pendent boards, or light frames H, provided with eyes at their upper edges, to

receive hooks k, securedto the top, or roof of the car. (See fig. 3.)

When the parts are adjusted as a day-car, the frames or boards E are detached from the hooks j and loops G, and are adjusted under the hat-rackL-antl their inner edges are fitted onhdoks Z, attached or secured to the side of the car above the hooks j, the jointed arms F being passed through the pendent loops G, (see fig. 3,) and other loops G, and the pendent partition-boards H placed on E.

' The 11, t-rack I, it will be perceived, is attached to the top of. the car, at the junction of the rise or elevated part with the lower part, at the pointwhere ventilation is usually obtained. A Bythis arrangement, the upper bedding may always be kept ina perfectly-ventilated condition. y his arrangement will not augment, in any appreciable degree the cost of an ordinary railroad-car,

while its advantages are obvious, to wit,-a car which may be used as either a day or sleeping-car, and which may be converted from one to the other in a few moments.

Having thus described my invention,

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent--' 1. The seats B of the car, provided with backs composed of two parts, 0 G, connected to branched arms D, constructed and applied to the side rails of the seats, to admit of said parts 0 being adjusted in the manner substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The frames-or boards E, suspended from the side i and top. of the car, by means of the hooks j, the jointed arms F, and pendent loop G', substantially as herein shown and described.

M. ALLISON WHEELER.

Witnesses:

MERRITT GALLY,

NELSON DrYOUNG. 

